Good Nature Brewing in Hamilton pairs local ingredients with world-class taste (video)

HAMILTON -- In its first few weeks after opening, demand for Madison County's first nano-brewery's craft beer has already exceeded its production.

Good Nature Brewing opened Jan. 12 at 37 Milford St. in Hamilton and by Jan. 27 had taken over the taps at Colgate Inn.

Advertisement

President and Assistant Brewer Carrie Blackmore, 25, says similar arrangements at other local establishments won't be made any time soon, as the in-brewery sales of their beer has far exceeded their expectations.

As a nano-brewery, Blackmore described their operation as a "home brewing system on steroids." Brewer Matt Whalen, her boyfriend, has artfully experimented with home brewing for years. When the couple decided to establish a small business, a brewery was among the ideas they toyed with. They also considering starting a farm or a restaurant.

"This idea made the most sense," Blackmore said of the brewery.

As the former hops capital of the world, they thought Madison County to be the perfect place to put down their brewing roots. Both Central New York natives, they chose Hamilton in particular to be closer to Blackmore's family, which largely resides there.

Blackmore, 25, has a background in agriculture and education and Whalen had been a chef for the last 13 years.

Brushing off Blackmore's accolades of being a master brewer and the mastermind behind the brewery's unique creations, Whalen insists that he's still learning. He's studied professional brewing techniques for as long as he's been brewing but the process is delicate and there's an infinite amount of possibilities for what can be produced, he said. He's developed all the recipes they've used so far and will expand those as production progresses. He said a Scottish golden ale and a light lager are in the works for future brews.

Because their brewery has such a small production scale, they're focusing on quality, Blackmore said. Whenever possible they use local products in an attempt to sustain a green and environmentally-responsible business. Their hops are sourced locally from Foothill Hops in Munnsville and the chicory used in their Chicory Mocha Porter is purchased locally. The malted grains they used are supplied by a Massachusetts vendor that acquires its products from Central New York.

Even their facility is environmentally friendly. The sprawling bar in the brewery's tasting room was constructed using recycled barn wood and repurposed copper. The door on the cold storage where kegs are kept is a door that was used at a former meat market and an old school teacher's desk is set up off to the side in the brewery.

They're also reusing Irish whiskey barrels to brew a new batch of porter that's expected to be ready for customers for St. Patrick's Day.

With three electric fermenters that have a 62-gallon capacity each, the brewery is currently producing between 375 and 465 gallons of beer a month. Blackmore called it a very work-intensive operation, explaining that it takes a significant amount of time to set up each batch. Each beer takes no less than two weeks to brew.

The brewery has experienced such an overwhelming and unanticipated response from the public, that it's having trouble supplying wholesale customers. Fortunately, Blackmore said, Colgate Inn is taking whatever beer they have available; not many bars are willing to do that, she said.

They've ordered two more fermenters to try to keep up with the demand for their product, but that will have to do until they have more money to invest in an expansion.

The business was kicked off with a $35,000 micro-enterprise grant from the Madison County Industrial Development Agency and a loan. Blackmore credited IDA Executive Director Kipp Hicks, Economic Development Coordinator Michael Magnusson and the IDA with helping with more than just financial support.

"We couldn't have done this without them," she said.

Support from the public and area politicians has also been overwhelming, she said. As the craft beer industry continues to boon, Blackmore said people are, more than ever, supporting local products and small businesses. They're also taking more pride in where they're from and the local products that are made in their hometowns.

That support is "confirmation that we made the right decision" choosing Hamilton, Blackmore said.

"We never thought we'd get this far," Blackmore said. "We're very lucky to be here.